February 15, 2018

10 things i learned on my first round of directing a Movie:

the right crew will find you eventually. [first i interviewed a seemingly ideal directing-DP duo who were two bold and imaginative women. they took my script, chopped it to pieces, and cast the entire thing off of headshots…. without me. along comes a new and even more fabulous DP with an impressive resume and a well-paying gig offer…. that comes 10 days before shooting our film. but really the universe was just making space and time for me and my perfect DP to meet, collaborate, and create something beautiful. thank you universe. thank you Elle Schneider.]

if you don’t get it right the first time, try try again. [Day 1: everyone was excited and ready to go. the actors and location looked fantastic and we were totally prepared… it all felt so right. until i quickly realized that outdoor shots are super hard, especially with a million trees and bright sunlight and reflections and actors walking down flights of steps and there is the light on her face, and oh no, her face has disappeared into darkness again. damn shadows. i finally decided to shove the same scene into our Day 3 schedule in a totally different location and just make it work for backup. this thing isn’t edited yet but i’ll bet you a dollar we use the second one.]

listen and collaborate. [so many people, so many ideas, so little time. looking back, everyone’s ideas were really brilliant and i think my crew can attest to the fact that i used about 90% of them. and that variety of ideas from all different backgrounds and experiences and brains and creative souls is what is going to make this film magical.]

have faith and give yourself credit. [i have been told by everyone that has ever truly loved and known me that i should move toward directing. i would laugh and say sure, ok and then never give it a second thought. i love to talk about movies and watch movies and tell people what is wrong with every movie ever made, but i could never see myself leading the creation of one. since wrapping this short, i have received more praise and support and joyful thanks from my cast and crew than i could have ever imagined and i am ecstatic to say my friends and family might have been onto something.]

don’t panic. there is a solution for everything. [we had an incredible set designer on this shoot. a woman with limitless ideas and a will to work tirelessly until it was done just right. i love her. her car was stolen Day 2. it had some set pieces in it. do not panic, is all i could think as i paced outside. do. not. panic. next thing i knew i was sending a PA out to buy a cheap picture frame from CVS to look like a door placard ~ a perfect replica of the stolen set piece… and no one was the wiser. panicking never helped anyone. oh and the car was recovered. and scene.]

good ideas and good writing attract good people. [long long ago in a Galaxy far far away, i asked a bad-ass guy to teach me how to properly use a bullwhip. five months of delays and an entirely different leading actress later, this same man was attending stunt rehearsals and coming up with the smartest easiest whip tricks that just look so cool. all i could think was what did i do to deserve not only talented, but such damn good people like this guy? looking back, i think a good script and a fun idea and being respectful and passionate and nice goes a long way. thank you T-Rex, i am proud to know you.]

trust your stunt coordinator. [it helps when your stunt coordinator is also your producer and your writing group partner and your friend. still, on my first film it was hard to know how in the world any of these action sequences would actually look like… action. after 1 rehearsal with a talented coordinator, all worries flew out the window. i even got a little teary eyed just watching these women roll around and punch one another with strength and ease. there’s nothing better.]

stay present. [i knew mindfulness would be key, but when you are the writer and producer and director on any size film, going with the flow becomes survival. constant script changes, special last-minute catering requests, wardrobe malfunctions, natural lighting that hates you, locations that look totally different through a lens… it’s all doable and it all works out, but stubbornness doesn’t. let it all go and watch it all come together.]

share your excitement on set. [when something looks good or works out exactly how it was intended or someone MacGyver’s you out of a situation on set, tell them. tell everyone how great it is going when the going is great. this makes a happy set and a happy set makes a solid movie.]

be grateful the whole time. [say thank you a lot. after every scene and every break, after seeing a set design come to life, after stepping into the unbelievable work of your gaffer who somehow made your set resemble a Marvel series, say thank you. to yourself, to the universe, to the crew. it takes a lot of souls and energy to make it all worth it. thank you, my first movie; i am so grateful.]

January 1, 2018

10 shows that summarize my 2017:

Wonder Woman: women are indeed bad ass. in 2017 i made a movie and it is going to turn out god damn amazing. our crew was 85% female including a female DP, writer, producer and director. oh and did i say it looks incredible? Wonder Woman better watch out.

Get Out: 2017 took some major steps backward but there is a movement of people that see it and know it and are going to be the ones to eventually change it. we have been stuck in several ways for one too many years, but change is inevitable. at the very least, we have to start and continue talking about it. all of it.

The Last Jedi: eventually we all grow up. we all live, we all love, we all die. it all comes in waves. it all comes back around. sometimes exactly what we thought would happen…. doesn’t. and sometimes right when we think it’s over, it’s all just starting over again. life is incredible.

Baby Driver: everyone has something inside that drives them. when in doubt and everyone is an asshole, find that spark and turn it up, make it the soundtrack to your life. if that isn’t the key to happiness it’s for sure the key to being great at faking it.

The Handmaid’s Tale: some might call 2017… difficult. i call it a Dumpster Fire. but even in the greatest of shit storms, we connect, we breathe, we rebel, we love, we fight.

MindHunter: sometimes your passions change you, for better or for worse. 2017 was a year where i was forced to let go of some of my passions, for better or for worse. changing whole parts of your identity and ego is pure pain… but when you come out the other side all it ever was, was just change. always for the better.

Wormwood: finding the truth is harder than you might imagine. 2017 taught me that it is utterly impossible to get the answer to everything i want to know. truth is a fickle thing; it depends on who is voicing it. ultimately truth seekers are my people. but i think it’s worth noting that the phrase truth is an illusion didn’t just spring up out of nowhere and Nietzsche ain’t no dummy.

Guardians of the Galaxy – Volume 2: i love that there are things you just know are going to be great. or at least really, really fucking fun. thank god for predictability where we can get it.

Wind River: a little positivity never hurt nobody. a lot of personal bad shit happened in 2017 but i have always woken up choosing positivity and hope, because what else is there? this movie reflects the incredibly fucked up world we live in and that sometimes there are good people and sometimes good people win and sometimes we get an ounce of closure. and a little closure never hurt nobody.

The Leftovers (finale): everything must come to an end ~ especially the good. learning to let go has been my greatest life lesson of 2017. without letting go there is no present, only what has already taken place or the fantasy of what might be. i balled at this show’s finale, for more reasons than i can count. i even had to let go of the idea of theme music. thank you, Tom Perrotta, thank you. and thank you, 2017.

October 23, 2017

if i am in high school and i feel unpopular, all i have to do is get a makeover. i will walk into school the next day and everyone will finally see how beautiful i really am.

if i am in a car crash, i will definitely roll away or run away or crawl away from that car as fast as possible. because it will blow up. it will blow up like there was a bomb hidden inside. even though there is no reason it should blow up, it’s gonna blow up. i’m out of there.

if i am scared someone is watching me or in my house, i will not swing shut my medicine cabinet and look in the mirror. they will surely be right behind me. also, if there is a blackout, i will NOT use my phone to look at myself or take a photo. some person or some thing will surely be right behind me.

if i become best friends with a bunch of guys, at least one of them will wake up someday and come to the realization that i have always been the one for him. and he will show up at my door in the rain with a song or an object i pointed out in a gift shop once or burst into my apartment to articulately express his true feelings that he has just realized. that is, if he doesn’t meet a Manic Pixie Dreamgirl on his way over.

if i befriend a black person, they will immediately and magically come to the aid of myself and all of my white friends. or at the very least make our lives significantly better with sage wisdom and thoughtful but practical advice.

if i meet a stranger and want to have sex with them, i should do it because it will immediately be the best sex either of us has ever had. and although there will be much moaning and enjoyment, afterward i will not appear sweaty or disheveled in any way.

if i smoke cigarettes i look super sexy, and it helps me through bad situations, and i smell just fine. oh and i only smoke after a tense moment or dramatic situation as i have no need for the disgusting things otherwise.

if there is someone chasing me that is a very, very bad person and i actually do some bad-ass thing like shoot them right before they kill me, they aren’t dead. i have to remember these bad people can take at least 8 major blows to the head and a minimum of 5 bullet wounds. min-i-mum.

if i see someone is scared and they tell me about something scary happening, i will go check it out. and i will die.

i if live long enough to meet an alien, i may not be able to tell if they are bad or good right away, but i know for sure they can travel faster than me, they are stronger than me, they are smarter than me, and their technology is so super organic and sophisticated that i may not even really understand it.

September 21, 2017

10thoughtswhile packing for the next big move:

where the hell did i get that and why don’t i use it? [literally, no memory. socks, Halloween masks, candles, books, random objects in my desk, scarves…a flag?? good lord you would think i am a hoarder. and then, i finish moving, i unpack, i start cooking my first meal in my brand new kitchen…and i need a can opener. where’s the can opener? do i not own a can opener? fuck, i think i threw out the can opener. never the right amount of stuff.]

who am i going to talk to when i get home? [i have said it before; i love my alone time. it is precious to me. however, yay for a roommate! there is nothing like coming home to a friend who wants to hear how you are and laugh with you about the crazy shit you bumped into in the real world that day. no way i’m not going to miss that.]

why did i get rid of ALL of my furniture the last time? [did i really think that i could afford to buy everything all over again all at once? i think i temporarily lost my mind. temporarily. entirely.]

how long will it take for me to get to know my neighborhood? [you know that feeling… when you suddenly realize that you haven’t been paying attention to driving for 20 minutes and you know your neighborhood so well you feel that ever-so-dangerous autopilot mode kick in. going to try and enjoy those first few weeks of feeling lost and exploring all of the time.]

i wonder what the men are like in this neighborhood. [i am moving to a college neighborhood. so…lots of easy choices but uh-oh. this is no good. maybe i’ll stay in and extra enjoy my alone time for awhile.]

am i fucking crazy to do this? [everything is so, so comfortable. i live in a clean, beautiful home with a person who loves me and a safe neighborhood with hiking and bars. i’m living the American dream. and then, i keep thinking… my own space, my own stuff, my own me with nothing else to lean on… that’s beautiful too. gotta do this delightful thing, even if it’s crazy.]

what if i got rid of everything except my bed? [i was packing a wine glass i haven’t used in 3 years and “just a bed” came to mind. just a bed. that’s odd. or maybe a hammock. a hammock and some plants and that’s all. i think i’m brilliant.]

do i remember how to fix anything? [i’ve been living with a doer. a lady who looks at something broken and just…fixes it. not sure if this is genetic or taught, but i ducked and missed somewhere along the way and i just don’t have it. so curious to see if i remember how to do anything handy all by lonesome. adventure!]

will this be the last one in los angeles? [i cannot help but wonder. should i make a big red X on the calendar for every day i get to spend paying attention to me, myself and i? will this be the last time i get to treat and indulge in self care as we all should, or will this be my forever? the joy is actually found in the unknown, but i really am fond of asking the questions.]

why is bubble wrap so expensive? [dude. it’s ridiculous. is bubble wrap actually shit from a Prince’s gold filled ass? i just spent $22 on a noisy piece of plastic that will roll around approximately 9 water glasses. ugh.]

July 30, 2017

10 truths we all Know but don’t want to Admit:

Truth #1: Pinocchio. [we aren’t that good at lying. but people pretend right along with us. and then sometimes ~ if they know us well ~ they’re playing along to get us to admit to the lie. or sometimes we all play the game together with silent understanding. do we think this makes life easier or more challenging? whatever the reason, it’s true.]

Truth #2: Fantasy Island. [the story in our head never turns out to be reality. i envision every important scenario in my life and how it will most likely turn out. this takes great over-thinking. careful attempts to be unbiased and get the most logical possible picture. not once has this vision been even remotely accurate. i’m even terrible at predicting winners of the Bachelor. clearly, this is not my forte. but we all do this, it’s true.]

Truth #3: Show & Tell. [no one wants to see all of our photos. we know it and yet it’s such a strong need to show, show, show! and even when our friend or loved one looks like they are positively watching paint dry, we keep on showing. it’s an addiction ~ a moving train that’s going way too fast to ditch. and don’t get me started on our playlists. you know, it’s true.]

Truth #4: Hide & Seek. [we all live with at least one shame from childhood. there’s certainly traumatic options here, but even smaller less damaging experiences are hard to admit. peer pressure to do something not so wonderful, family crap, a less than attractive show of weakness, or just a really awkward phase… we all got ’em. it’s so easy to hide but it’s true.]

Truth #5: Mirror, Mirror. [if the same thing keeps happening to you, you are the common denominator. the world does not revolve around you. you are not the center of the universe. however, if your head keeps slamming up against the same brick wall – same fight, same girl, same guy, same problem – we all know that the universe has a lesson made just for you. pay attention and enjoy the spotlight for a moment because it’ll pass once you realize it’s true.]

Truth #6: Scaredy Cat. [we all fight fear an inordinate amount of the time. whether it’s death or the person next door who doesn’t look like you or the doctor or being vulnerable or feeling responsible or being accepted or cancer or war or walking alone in the dark. i despise fear and i fear people’s fear. a personal conundrum but it’s true.]

Truth #7: Swim Fan. [we all have obsessions and/or addictions. i believe it’s a human thing as we work it all out in this life. maybe it’s okay to obsess about at least one thing. it’s probably the thing we are best at. or… we will be eventually. or…we’ll be admitted to Passages Malibu but things will always get better. it’s true.]

Truth #8: Secret Agent. [you never really know a person. we all walk around with our friends and our siblings and our co-workers and our husbands and our children and we spend 100% of our time acting like we know these crazies. like because we’ve spent hours talking with them and sleeping with them and feeding them that we know them like no one else does. that is some delusional shit and incredible because it’s true.]

Truth #9: Fire Starter. [we have horrible thoughts sometimes. this one is really tough to admit. nobody wants to judge themselves at a core level of humanity, including me. but i admit, my thoughts have wandered down a dark path now and again. i figure all i can do is work on facing it and appreciate that i haven’t actually acted on any of those thoughts. it’s fucking hard being a good person, it’s true.]

Truth #10: Sleeping Beauty. [at times, we fake sleeping. everybody always talks about women faking all kinds of shit but what about the sleeping? we have all had a moment where we didn’t want the person coming to bed to know we were awake – for so many various reasons. and we all secretly also know that they know that we ain’t sleeping. let’s all keep doing it anyway just because it’s true.]

May 14, 2017

10 things that completely shift when you find out you have a life-altering disease:

1. the taste of food. [i really cannot figure out if this is medicine related or the mind. i prefer to think that my brain immediately realized its own mortality and decided to try anything and everything it illogically hated before – just in case. i have much more respect for my brain this way.]

2. the passage of time. [well what can i say? it is just moving differently. a little slower… a little less rushed… a bit more boring but with more flavor. i can only compare this to being under water with music and light and a mixed feeling of dread and joy. hmmm. i think #2 makes me sound slightly bonkers. oki.]

3. the difficulty of addiction. [have you ever wondered if a doctor ordered you not to do something would it be easier to quit? and then wondered if that was your addict ego just prolonging the quitting and why some people can just stop cold turkey and others get cancer and smoke until their last breath and which one am i? a doctor telling you to quit is the only way to know who you are in this scenario and it turns out…it’s pretty easy. phew.]

4. the purpose. [well shit. it’s not being green-lit to make your movies or getting that perfect job or finding that life partner that feels like coming home or meditation or nothing. turns out, it’s all of it.]

5. the priorities. [i don’t really care about you. i mean, in the bigger sense of things. turning 40 said goodbye to about ten thousand fucks, but finding out you have a degenerative disease? oh hell no. i come first and everyone who loves me is saying it’s about time anyway.]

6. the love and kindness. [i really do care about you. because like it or not, like me or not, we live in a world and a community where we are all interconnected. may sound cliche but the truth is that every piece of love we put out there is a huge something. every. tiny. piece.]

7. the days. [like i said, time already moves a bit differently. i want to wake up every morning and think, what will make me happy today and god damn do it. today i ate 3 pieces of pizza and walked for an hour blasting music. each day a thing we have at our happiness disposal.]

8. the friends. [this morning i got a text message from a girlfriend that said “just thinking of you today and how thankful i am for you! love you.” no joke, this morning. and i get these all the time because i am the luckiest fucking person in the world. everyone deserves such love.]

9. the forgiveness. [i recently had my heart broken. again. and believe me, there are days when i think wow, that is absolutely the last person i will ever get to know in an intimate way. i am done – totally done forever. but then, i think about what my life would be like if i had never met him, and what if this disease does something horrible to me really, really soon. and then i think, thank god. thank god i got that time with another human being who showed me i still have the strength to crack my heart wide open and love. even when it isn’t wanted. my beautiful heart.]

10. the gratefulness. [the taste of food, time, quitting smoking, the ever-allusive purpose of life, myself, others, every day and every friend. forgiveness. for these things i am so grateful and i always will be, as long as i am here. make that as long as humanly possible.]

August 22, 2016

Preface: I have had a very hard time writing blogs posts lately and I couldn’t really figure out why. I have hundreds of drafts; hundreds. Yet, none of them give me that rush of “yes – I need to post this NOW. this is exactly how i feel in this moment.”

I’ve realized tonight that part of this is not spending time being vulnerable anymore. I’ve been strong and confident and independent and present and self-evaluating for months now… and it’s time to just allow myself to be vulnerable again. Whether that comes across as negative or needy or weak… i don’t care. so here it is – what i really want to write – in all its lonely glory. an homage to being single for 6 years, 2 months and a handful of days.

10 thoughts when you are lonely and have been for a very long time:

am I picky or just weird? [so my friends say i’m picky – of course. but i always try to be honest. could it really be that i’m giving off a vibe of… well i don’t know… weird? or too nice or too independent or too comfortable or too happy or too slutty or too prudish or too easy going? i know this is an incredibly pointless exercise. but it’s honest.]

why do the most popular cliche sayings seem so right but are proving to be so wrong? [as soon as you become single people begin to advise. love yourself first… when you aren’t looking for it… keep yourself open… write out everything you want in a partner… let go and focus on other things… be grateful for everything else in your life. yes. i agree. 1000% agree. i’m just mentioning here, that 6 years later i am still quite lonely.]

people just seem so fucked up. [the human race is sucking it up. did something change or do past decades look so much better than they actually were because we don’t ever remember the bad? all i know is, people are shitty. i’m smacking into more narcissists, men with no manners, and fucked up, closed off people than i can count on 3 hands.]

is there a beautiful fun vacation spot for single people? [Hawaii is out. nope, not Palm Springs. Cabo, no sir. has anyone been to Iceland lately? how’s that looking?]

dating apps don’t work for everyone. [my best friend met the love of her life on OK Cupid. i know for a fact these things can work, but i want to make a clear statement that they don’t always work for everyone. that’s all.]

do people feel sorry for me? [Jesus i really hope not. i hope all of my friends and family and exes and co-workers know that i love a lot about being single. i also love who i’ve become as i creep closer and closer to 40. i love how i look and how i behave and who i surround myself with. sometimes, secretly, but not-so-secretly after this post… i think i might just want a relationship so everyone else can relax.]

standard shifting. [as i get older i notice my standards get higher but fewer at the same time. how is this possible? i no longer need anyone to spend a ton of time with me and i feel set in my ways and crave more alone time than ever… but i want someone so right and so good for me that they are nearing damn perfect which is… well ridiculous.]

if i move will that make a difference? [a lot of women who live in LA blame being single on being in LA. all the singles talk about here is the horrible cesspool of dating that we refer to as Los Angeles. i don’t know. will Austin be the answer? will the guys in Boulder want a real woman with real boobs and real sanity? at some point the moving experiment may be inevitable.]

when it gets real obvious. [there are moments where loneliness is more palpable. like when you’re sitting on your couch watching Stranger Things and you realize with elation that this is the best thing you’ve seen on tv in years. and you look around with a huge grin on your face so excited to share this moment… only to quickly remember that you are still quite alone on your couch. the beauty of Hawaii, accomplishing a life goal, getting excited about a show because you are passionate about good film…these are moments to be shared and no one will ever convince me otherwise.]

love is the most important thing ever. [i desperately want to believe this is a myth. i want to feel in my heart and my belly that work and friends and giving back and living a grateful full life is all enough, because that makes sense in my head. but my heart and my belly want to love and nurture and connect and i just can’t seem to shake it.]

August 4, 2015

10 of my favorite words and why:

1. Synesthesia. [noun: asensationproducedinonemodalitywhenastimulusisappliedto anothermodality,aswhenthehearingofacertainsoundinducesthe visualizationofacertaincolor. i don’t have the privilege of experiencing this neurological phenomenon firsthand, however i can imagine the sound of a girl crying on the Bachelorette inducing the vision of… a collage of reds with a background of a very bland grey. and a knife in my right eye.]

2. frambuesas. [in the 9th grade i had an extremely cool Spanish teacher who was young and funny and went to Rush concerts. i still don’t really know who the hell Rush is or what they sound like. but her favorite word in Spanish was frambuesas. she would say it every day and roll her r’s like she was making love to the word. i have been infatuated ever since.]

3. chalk. [this is all about the sound. there are clear images of the chalk board i had as a child and my hands covered in pink dust after a gymnastics lesson, but more than that i love onomatopoeia. chalk. when i say it i feel it in my throat and remember a classroom and pavement and something else that i can’t quite place.]

4. smoke. [this word immediately recalls memories and sounds and pictures and smells for me. the scent of sulfur when lighting a match, the vision of a swirl of white in the air, the memory of a campfire you worked hard to ignite and kept lit for hours. such wistfulness in 5 letters.]

5. sanctuary. [this word was the theme of a meditation sitting group i attended recently and it spoke to me immediately. there is nothing like the sanctuary and comfort of your own silence and self. a necessary kindness that is so easily accessible if we just take a moment.]

6. serendipity. [there’s a common misconception of this word in America ~ probably due to the unfortunate Cusack movie that we should all just put behind us if we like John at all. “fortunate happenstance” might come to mind when you see the word. what speaks to me: “Serendipity: Look for something, find something else, and realize that what you’ve found is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for.” -Lawrence Block.]

7. solitude. [peace. absence of human interaction. nothing but woods or water or sand or sky. how else can we know anything outside ourselves and stop talking for just a moment?]

8. moist. [why oh why do women everywhere hate this word? i have close friends that look like they are going to literally grab my hair and start a girl fight if i say it one more time. so i say it a lot and i like it. because it’s funny. to annoy people.]

9. gloaming. [does anyone remember that movie In the Gloaming? i was going through a Robert Sean Leonard phase and it was the first time I heard the word. when i later learned it meant “dusk,” which had been one of my favorite words prior, it was immediately replaced. gloaming. that time of day that is just so ethereal. i have always loved the in-between.]

10. suspense. [the cliffhanger, the waiting, the taut gut-wrenching moment, the feeling of being weightless, the thriller that keeps your eyes open so long they begin to feel dry and teary, the magic of being unsure. change is coming and who knows what it will bring?]

November 11, 2014

10 TED talks that have moved and changed me:

1. Janet Echelman: Taking Imagination Seriously. [fav quote: “as i watched the wind’s choreography unfold, i felt sheltered and at the same time connected to limitless sky.” this wonderful woman. i admire anyone and everyone who creates – especially those who do it in a way that you’re positive it’s a direct channel straight to their soul. breathtaking.]

2. Brené Brown: The Power of Vulnerability. [fav quote: “…and she said I’m going to call you a storyteller and I was like…why not magic pixi?” a great reminder to face our vulnerability and remain open to what may be the most important things in life: courage, compassion and connection. much like the Grant Study, these are the talks/essays/lectures/books/movies/conversations that remind me of our greater purpose.]

3. Susan Cain: The Power of Introverts. [fav quote: “solitude matters and for some people it is the air that they breathe. and in fact, we have known for centuries about the transcendent power of solitude.” one of my favorite talks thus far…Susan covers several moving topics all in one eloquent speech. a speech made by an absolute introvert.]

4. Hans Rosling: Global Population Growth, Box by Box. [fav quote: “I’m a very serious possibilist. It’s a new category.” yes, i am already quite drawn to this particular global issue, however i love this TED talk for other reasons. make a concept visual for me by using plastic bins, toy cars, toy bicycles, and a pair of flip-flops and i’m definitely sucked in. oh, and the proposed solution is profound.]

5. Elizabeth Gilbert: Your Elusive Creative Genius. [fav quote: “even I, in my mulishness, even I have brushed up against that thing.” that elusive genii, that inexplicable strange external thing that blows through us and gives us a piece of something beyond ourselves. support and embrace the courage of your creative loved ones.]

6. Dan Barber: A Foie Gras Parable. [fav quote: “it’s a gift from God with God saying you’ve done good work.” i don’t know what to say except i’m in love with foie gras, i’m in love with this chef’s humor and message, i’m in love with the Spanish goose whisperer…it’s a serious love fest over here.]

7. Jane McGonigal: Gaming Can Make a Better World. [fav quote: “3 billion hours a week is not nearly enough game-play to solve the worlds’ most urgent problems.” the ONLY argument that has ever made me appreciate gaming. it’s such an interesting theory. check it out.]

8. David Steindl-Rast: Want to Be Happy? Be grateful. [fav quote: “it’s so revolutionary it revolutionizes the very concept of a revolution.” a monk says stop, look, go. our consciousness is changing and David summarizes this movement in a truly inspirational way.]

9. Ric Elias: 3 Things I Learned While My Plane Crashed. [fav quote: “About a month later I was in a performance by my daughter…first grader…not much artistic talent.” I’m generally fascinated by people who have been through scary and/or near-death experiences and what they learned from these precious moments in time. a short, sweet and simple talk reminding us how short, sweet and simple life can be.]

10. David Griffin: How Photography Connects Us. [fav quote: “photography carries a power that holds up under the relentless swirl of today’s saturated media world.” picking the photograph for my blog posts is often just as fulfilling as writing them. i marvel at the concept of how photography connects us, taps into our deepest and most human emotions, and can ultimately change our perception and the world.]